Interacting with the newspersons at a meet-the-press programme at press club here, Sharma said plans were afoot to have facilities, including RO water at all the 67 inter-state bus terminus and depots, for the passengers.

The ROs are likely to be installed within next 15 days, he said, adding that the ISBTs would be upgraded and more drivers would be recruited by the transport department.

Sharma said the state government would add at least 1,000 more buses in the roadways fleet, which currently has about 4,100 buses. He said new transport policies would also be introduced for the convenience of the passengers.

On a question pertaining to over-sized transport vehicles, Sharma said the operators’ union had been given an ultimatum to modify their vehicles as per the norms by August 2015.

SYMPATHISES WITH GUEST TEACHERS

Sharma, who was bombarded with questions on the government’s stand on over 3,500 guest teachers, who have been sacked following a court order, sympathised with them and said the ruling BJP party had promised that the jobs of the teachers would be regularised. He added, “Lekin hum unki madad maryada mein reh kar hi kar sakte hain (We can help them while abiding by the norms).”

BLAMES PREVIOUS GOVTS FOR POOR EDUCATION STANDARDS

Sharma, who was asked questions on the deteriorating standards of education in the government schools, said it was because of the functioning of the previous Congress and INLD governments that education standards in the government institutions had fallen. “The previous governments gave grace marks to students so that they could pass the examination and did not pay much heed towards their learning,” he said, adding that the new BJP government had stopped the system of giving grace marks and was taking measures to usher in quality education at government institutes. He said plans were also afoot to have modern model schools in each district.

On the questions of introduction of Gita in schools, he said that it was wrong to see it as “saffronisation” of education as Gita was not a “religious book, but a book of way of life, culture, wisdom and solutions”. “As yoga has been accepted and hailed by several Muslim countries, foreigners too have complimented us for introducing Gita in school text,” he added.